Globally the fashion industry has seen a major shift from brick and mortar retail to online and omnichannel. This has meant that everyone from small independent designers to large retailers and luxury brands has had to formulate an online strategy that works for them. Couture has lost its footing with sportswear taking over the wardrobes of everyone from teenagers to celebrities. Industry heavyweights like Louis Vuitton appointing Virgil Abloh, designer and Music artist, as Artistic director for Menswear, has legitimized the era of the influencer economy. The Fashion Industry in India although still very young, has had exponential growth to catch up with its global counterpart. Designers like Manish Arora and Rahul Mishra showcasing their collections at Paris Fashion week and young designers like Suket Dhir and most recently Ruchita Sachdev and Antar Agni winning the prestigious Woolmark Prize has meant that India has become a force to reckon with on a global fashion platform. From being primarily a manufacturing and outsourcing hub, India has now announced itself as a sought-after design destination. Brands like Pero and Abraham & Thakore are stocked by many international retailers.

A lot of this growth, upwards and outwards, can be attributed to ethical and sustainable practices inherent to Indian craft and textiles and a meteoric rise in access to Fashion education in the past decade. The Fashion weeks organized by The Fashion Design Council of India have also opened up new global avenues for Indian Designers. The biggest catalyst, however, has been social media. A new designer today finds it much easier to position and grow as an individual entity by placing themselves well on social platforms. Targeted marketing has never been this easy and inexpensive. That being said, it has also meant that the competition for space in an already crowded market is a mammoth. Here is where choosing a very well structured and well-defined course in Fashion, one that is dynamic and complements the fast-changing local and global industry is most essential.

A student today should look for a course which offers an outward approach, be it through constant industry interaction and feedback or regular international exposure. Fashion schools need to provide students with the opportunity for industry master classes, projects, and internships. Additionally, there is a rise in the number of local and international competitions and conferences in which students must have an opportunity and scope to participate in. Well conceptualized short courses and exchange programs with international universities also provide students with a holistic view of the domain. This should be balanced with intensive classroom engagement in the form of discussions, lectures and studio time. The student of today needs to find a niche since the competition is enormous. Students should also look at courses beyond Fashion design. Fashion Styling, Fashion Communication, Fashion Marketing, Textile Design and Accessory Design are only a few of the other courses being offered today. This will give the student a range of options to understand where they may fit into this industry. External stakeholders like the industry and universities that offer higher education will look for a well-defined philosophy and a personal language. Today we are all a brand and it is very essential that all aspects of our personality are in sync and well presented.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors' and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house